Norway, with its sheer natural beauty, is one of my favorite countries I’ve visited, and I’d go again in a heartbeat. During my visit, we stayed in Oslo, the capital of Norway, where there is an endless number of activities to do.

One of the first things we did was visit the National Museum. There, we saw Edvard Munch’s famous “Scream” painting, and were subsequently laughed at by others when we took pictures next to the painting copying the pose (it was still worth it!). Norway’s largest collection of art, architecture and design, the National Museum features countless other famous paintings. It was all so admirable, and we ended up staying there for hours.

As you probably know, Norway is known as the land of the Vikings and thus, it has many museums filled with artifacts from all the history of Vikings. A very unique experience, the Viking Ship Museum was filled with stories, ships and crafts from 1,000 years ago. The museum was curated so nicely, and I remember getting goosebumps in many of the rooms because it seemed like I was actually back in the era of the Vikings.

The Oslo Opera House was also stunning to see. The structural design of the building resembles an iceberg with inclined, white lines. Absolutely stunning, the opera house is truly remarkable as it sits on the edge of the water. Simply walking along the waterside in Oslo was so peaceful and relaxing, and my friends and I spent hours simply talking and enjoying the breeze and beautiful scenery.

Honestly, my favorite part of Oslo was people-watching. I saw little kids playing tag on the street, an elderly couple hand-in-hand on a bench looking out across the water and marathon runners jamming through their last mile with the cheers so loud they could be heard from a mile away. Everyone seemed so happy and content with where they were in the moment, and simply being within that environment made me happy as well. It makes sense that Norway is ranked as the third happiest country in the world, according to the United Nations.

The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, located a short bus ride away from Oslo, is also definitely worth visiting. As an open-air museum, it features about 160 historic buildings relocated from throughout Norway. Buildings dating back to 1200 all the way to the present day are featured, and for most of them, you can go inside too! I learned so much about the history of Norway through this museum in a fun and interactive way. It’s definitely a must-see attraction if travel allows you to go to Norway.

One of my top reasons to go to Norway was because I loved the television show “Skam,” which is a teen drama series that takes place there. If you haven’t heard of it … you’re in trouble, because it’s a show you won’t be able to stop watching!

Being able to look up at mountains bigger than you’ve ever seen, witnessing the northern lights and for so many more reasons, Norway is a country I’d 100% recommend to put on your bucket list.